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The nation’s biggest city, under the direction of Mayor Bill de Blasio, marked Earth Day on Wednesday by linking a sweeping effort to limit its impact on the environment with its fight against income inequality by pledging to lift more than 800,000 people out of poverty.

De Blasio unveiled his ambitious OneNYC plan as a comprehensive strategy to improve New Yorkers’ lives by providing affordable housing, shortening commute times and preserving the environment.

“The way forward is to create a vision for one city where there’s opportunity for all, sustainability for all and fairness for all,” de Blasio said. “So many people who have fought for economic justice have also fought for environmental justice because these challenges go hand in hand.”

The waste reduction proposal — first reported Tuesday by The Associated Press — is central to the plan. New York, home to about 8.5 million residents, aims to reduce its waste output by 90 percent by 2030 from its 2005 level. The plan, the biggest undertaken by a city in the Western Hemisphere, would eliminate more than 3 million tons of garbage by overhauling the city’s recycling program, offering incentives to reduce waste and embracing the City Council’s plan to dramatically reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.

The waste reduction plan is part of an update to the sustainability project created by de Blasio’s predecessor, Michael Bloomberg. But even changing its name from PlaNYC to the loftier OneNYC: The Plan for a Strong and Just City, which invokes de Blasio’s campaign promise to combat the “tale of two cities” created by income inequality, makes clear that the updated plan would grow in scope.

He also reiterated his lofty housing goals — he aims to create 500,000 units of affordable housing by 2040 — and said he wants to end racial and ethnic disparities in premature mortality. He pledged to explore new capital expenditures — including the feasibility of a new subway line to serve central Brooklyn — to improve the city’s aging infrastructure and to reduce the average New Yorker’s commuting time to 45 minutes.

Some resiliency advocates applauded the lofty goals, but others, including Jordan Levine of the New York League of Conservation Voters, chided the plan for not providing specifics on funding and warned that “implementation is where rubber meets the road.”

For decades, the city’s trash has been exported to South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or upstate New York. The amount of waste produced by the city has fallen 14 percent since 2005 because of an increase in recycling, and a key component of the plan is to bolster that output by simplifying the process and consolidating all recycling into one bin by 2020.

Organics — such as food scraps and yard waste — make up nearly a third of the city’s residential waste stream. A program to collect that material directly from residents’ homes is expanding to nearly 200,000 residents by year’s end, and city officials want to serve every home by the end of 2018. The city also will offer economic incentives to participate, including potentially a property tax rebate for homeowners.

The city also aims to reduce commercial waste by 90 percent by 2030 by adopting a program that could mean tax incentives for participating businesses and fines for nonparticipants.

The de Blasio administration stopped short of endorsing a City Council bill that proposes a 10-cent fee on plastic bags, but officials said that reducing their use is a priority and that they would coordinate efforts with the council.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the company serves both private companies and public sector Agency clients throughout North America and internationally. To learn more about WIH Resource Group, Inc. visit http://www.wihrg.com .

Should you have any questions about this news or general questions about our diversified services, please contact Bob Wallace, Principal & VP of Client Solutions at WIH Resource Group and Waste Savings, Inc. at admin@wihrg.com

Passionate about life, learning, love and sharing their experiences of life, Bob & Tracy Wallace enjoy sharing their invigorated (energizing) solutions / advice and useful life tips for living life to the fullest on their popular life development blog, “Invigorated Solutions”. Click HERE to visit our website for more valuable information.

We all want to manifest things in our lives. We set our intentions on what we want and we wait and think that the Law of Attraction is not working. The Law of Attraction is a universal law and it is fail proof. So we have to ask ourselves, what are we doing that is keeping us from getting what we really want? Setting our intentions is the easy part, but what are our thoughts and words telling the universe?

Next, write down why you want that particular intention. Make it about the emotion. So if you want financial prosperity, it is not so you can buy what you want but it is more about freedom. The freedom to do what you want, when you want. A relationship would be about having companionship, not about getting married or not being alone or have someone to pay half the bills.

Evoke the emotions that come with getting what you want. Now you want to write down the emotions that you are going to experience when you have your intention. That perfect relationship is going to make me so happy and joyful, feeling warm and safe, elated, refreshed, excited about life. I will have my heart beating fast and feel the beautiful knowing that I have someone by my side on my journey through life. The intention is what sends your request out into the universe, and the emotions are what draw the manifestation back in.

I personally had the experience of a belief that I did not deserve a healthy relationship and even though I did a great job of manifesting and designing what that relationship would look like, I had to dig deep to discover why I was not achieving it. As soon as I was able to dig deep within myself and pull out that weed of not deserving, within 2 weeks, my perfect relationship appeared and I was able to hold on to it.

Theta brain waves can be considered the subconscious; they govern the part of our mind that lies between the conscious and the unconscious and retain memories and feelings. They also direct your beliefs and your behavior. Theta waves are always creative, characterized by feelings of inspiration and very spiritual. It is believed that this mental state allows you to act below the level of the conscious mind. Theta is the first stage of the phase when we dream.

Mediation is a great way to get into the theta state. This is where we get when we are hypnotized or we fall into the REM cycle of sleep. There are plenty of guided mediations on YouTube that can help you get to that state of mind if you are a beginner. You will feel when your mind gets into that state, there is no time, no feeling of your body and no outside awareness. If you can’t quite get into Theta, then Alpha is a good start.

Think of your brain as a radio receives and sends out signals. When you enter an Alpha frequency you are “switching” stations from receiving, which is Beta mode to sending mode where you can focus on a very clear intention. If you’ve ever been driving a zoning out and a great idea has popped into your head, it is likely you were in an Alpha state.

4. Visualize

This is the fun part. This is where we get to use our imagination and get into the mindset of a child. In this place, anything is possible. We are co-creators and we get to design what that intention gets to look like.

If you want a big house, visualize that big house. Live in the house, experience what you feel if you were walking around that house, going into your bedroom, pulling into the garage, swimming in the pool. Live it!! If it is relationship you want, dance with your partner, feel yourself in their arms, hear what they would be saying to you, kiss them, hold them, smell them. Make it as real as you can.

When you evoke the emotions, this is where you raise your vibration to be in congruency with the vibration of the wish that you desire. Hold on to the image for at least 60 seconds and then move on to the next one. We suggest sticking with one or two per meditation so that you can stay focused and create as much detail as possible. Feel yourself breathing differently and your body reacting to the emotions. It should feel very real to you as though it has already happened.

5. Release the Image

Once you have captured the images and the emotions, you will release the image back into the universe. By sending your intentions back out, you are releasing it and letting go of any attachment to it. You are letting the Universe know that you have surrendered it and know that you will receive it when the time is right. Forget about it. Once you place an order for a product online, you don’t keep going back to the website checking to see if your order went through.

7. Work with Your Resistances

After you have completed the above steps, check with yourself to see if there is any resistance. Fear is usually the catalyst that can sabotage our intentions. Take note of any fears that you may be holding on to and which parts you resist. Try to express them in words. For example, here are some fears you might encounter when you think about manifesting a million dollars:

One of the simplest ways to eliminate your fears is to accept them. Stop feeding your fears with intentional energy, and just allow them to be. For example, if you simply accept that if you manifested $1 million, then your bookkeeping may indeed be more complicated. Then you are no longer giving energy to that fear. You’ve downgraded the fear into an end result.

What about you? Setting our intentions is the easy part, but what are your thoughts and words telling the universe? If you’re trying to change a certain script in your life, start small and experience some success. Build from there. What has been stopping you from moving forward with change? What rituals (or habits) do you want to change in your life? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Source: Author Tracy Todaro is Co-Founder of Invigorated Solutions. Tracy is a certified Life Coach specializing in life transition coaching, career changes, major life changes and family matters. She can be reached at info@invigoratedsolutions.com

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the company serves both private companies and public sector Agency clients throughout North America and internationally. To learn more about WIH Resource Group, Inc. visit http://www.wihrg.com .

Should you have any questions about this news or general questions about our diversified services, please contact Bob Wallace, Principal & VP of Client Solutions at WIH Resource Group and Waste Savings, Inc. at admin@wihrg.com

Passionate about life, learning, love and sharing their experiences of life, Bob & Tracy Wallace enjoy sharing their invigorated (energizing) solutions / advice and useful life tips for living life to the fullest on their popular life development blog, “Invigorated Solutions”. Click HERE to visit our website for more valuable information.

What’s the state of your air? Is it healthy? Or too often a noxious mix of chemicals and particles that can damage your lungs and even shorten

your life? The American Lung Association’s tenth annual State of the AirReport shows what’s in our air—by location— and how the air we breathe continues to threaten the lives and health of millions of Americans.

The State of the Air report offers local air quality rankings, including the 25 dirtiest cities. It also offers hope—showing progress made in the fight for clean air, and an action plan to help clean the air and protect our lungs. You can get the grade for your community by typing in your zip code here:

Air pollution and your lungsState of the Air looks at two of the most widespread air pollutants—ozone and particle pollution—that can cause a host of alarming symptoms, ranging from shortness of breath and asthma attacks, to chest pain, heart attacks, and even premature death.

Revealing pictureThe 10th annual State of the Air report presents a wealth of data and paints a revealing picture of the air we breathe:

·Air pollution itself remains a real and urgent threat to public health.

·Some cities have made steady progress to clean up their air, while others have had mixed results or gotten worse since our last report.

·Six out of ten Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution.

·40.5 million Americans live in counties where the outdoor air failed all three tests.

·Only one city—Fargo, N.D.—ranked among the cleanest in all three air pollution categories covered in State of the Air.

·Certain people are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, including infants and children, older adults, people with lung diseases like asthma, people with heart disease or diabetes, in addition to anyone who works or exercises outdoors.

·Minorities and lower income groups are disproportionately affected by illnesses caused by air pollution.

What we’re doingThe American Lung Association has been leading the fight for clean air. We have successfully moved the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to tighten clean air standards so that communities have the legal support they need to reduce their air pollution. We have pushed for power plants to clean up of smog-forming emissions and have been on the front lines fighting for cleaner diesel fuels and diesel engines.

Real progress, yes, but there’s still much to be done. We need stricter federal emissions controls, even stronger ozone standards, an improved network of air monitors, and stricter enforcement of air quality laws.

What you can doYou can do your part to help improve air quality today. Drive less. Don’t burn wood or trash. Use less electricity, and make sure your local school system requires clean school buses. You can join the fight for cleaner air laws by becoming an American Lung Association e-advocate. Your support makes our work possible. Make a donation today to help the American Lung Association continue to fight for healthy lungs and clean air across the country.

News Source: American Lung Association

If you have any questions about this news or general questions about our diversified consulting services, please contact us at admin@wihrg.com. Feel free to visit our websites for additional information on our services at: www.wihrg.com, www.wihresourcegroup.com and www.wastesavings.net

Text of President Barack Obama’s inaugural address on Tuesday, as prepared for delivery and released by the Presidential Inaugural Committee:

OBAMA: My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE) has started up its California LNG Plant at Boron, California, the largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) production plant in the Southwest and the first large-scale plant in California. Built to produce up to 160,000 gallons per day of LNG, the plant is designed to expand production to 240,000 gallons per day as demand increases. The facility includes a 1.8-million-gallon LNG storage tank as an important regional supply source and to provide reserves for unanticipated demand.

The plant is located in the Mojave Desert approximately 125 miles from Los Angeles, California and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Over 500,000 gallons of LNG have been produced during its start-up phase and initial deliveries have been made to Clean Energy?s new LNG port truck fueling station in Carson, California. The Clean Truck Program at the ports anticipates replacing over 8,000 old diesel trucks with new trucks that are proven to be cleaner than diesel, such as LNG trucks, within five years. These trucks are anticipated to be a major consumer of the LNG fuel produced at the California LNG Plant.

“We have built the new LNG production facility to respond to the critical need in Southern California and the Southwest for cleaner, more efficient fuel for port trucks and regional trucking,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO of Clean Energy.

“Already, new, cleaner LNG trucks are rolling at the ports and throughout Southern California, lowering emissions pollution and providing cheaper fuel from domestic sources for trucking fleets,” noted Littlefair. “We also have begun construction on our second regional LNG truck fueling station, which is scheduled for completion in March 2009.”

?Besides the Ports? Clean Truck Program vehicles, the California LNG Plant will supply other transportation fuel customers throughout California and Arizona,? Littlefair concluded.

Clean Energy (Nasdaq:CLNE) is the leading provider of natural gas (CNG and LNG) for transportation in North America. It has a broad customer base in the refuse, transit, ports, shuttle, taxi, trucking, airport and municipal fleet markets, fueling more than 14,000 vehicles daily at over 170 strategic locations across the United States and Canada.

Please visit our website for more details related to WIH’s service offerings in the clean energy and renewable fuels sector at www.wihresourcegroup.com

The following stories aren’t getting front-page treatment in the nation’s major newspapers, but they are arguably among the most important — and depressing — of the day. Normally, we might write a post about each of these stories, but frankly, that would just be too depressing. So, here they are, subjectively, from least to most depressing:

1. Detroit May Kill the Electric Car (Again)

Facing the prospect of financial ruin, the Big Three American automakers, Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, may abandon fledgling efforts to create electric cars, according to Reuters. It’s a speculative article, but when one considers that tackling global warming or freeing ourselves from dependence on foreign oil will almost certainly require electrifying the vehicle fleet, it’s a depressing setback.

2. The Largest Forest Infestation in North American History

The infestation of mountain pine beetles is growing “exponentially,” according to the New York Times, with tens of millions of acres of Rocky Mountain forests from New Mexico through Canada succumbing. It’s called the largest infestation in the known history of North America. Drought, global warming and fire suppression all play a role in the outbreak, and the death of trees will make the region susceptible to more violent wildfires, among other ills.

3. Highly Polluting School Buses May Not Be Upgraded

The economic crisis will likely prevent many school districts, states and even the federal government from continuing to pay for the upgrading and replacement of old, dirty diesel school buses, according to Environmental Health News. These pollution nightmares pump out 90% more pollution than their cleaner counterparts, including fine particulates and cancerous chemicals that tend to build up inside the bus, where children are sitting.

4. Bush Opens Land to Oil Shale Development

In the latest in a series of last-minute lame-duck decisions that will have far-reaching consequences for the environment, the Bush Administration set new rules in place that will allow the development of oil shale on 2 million acres of public lands in Colorado Utah and Wyoming, according to the New York Times. This highly polluting process essentially liquefies rock to make oil, creating massive pollution in the process. More depressing, it’s only one of many decisions that will not only harm the environment, but may be difficult for the next president to easily reverse.

5. 25% of Desert Storm Vets Has Gulf War Syndrome

Despite years of government denials, it appears that about one in four veterans of the first Iraq war, Desert Storm, suffer from Gulf War Syndrome due to chemical exposure, according to a new congressional investigation detailed by the Cox Newspapers. Worse, the 175,000 men and women suffering from the multisymptom illness aren’t getting better with treatment and time.

6. European and North American Soils Are Dying

Despite recent successes in curtailing pollution, decades of acid rain have so decimated soils across the industrialized world (and downwind from it) that they are on the brink of collapse, according to new research from the U.S. Geologic Survey, the University of Colorado, the University of Montana and the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The soils are so depleted that additional acid rain — which in the U.S. now comes mainly from burning fuel in cars — will cause soils to lose fertility, and allow toxic metals to leach into surface waters, poisoning streams. This news is doubly depressing because not only does it mean soils — which we need to grow food — are imperiled, but also that environmental problems we considered solved — acid rain — turn out to have much more far-reaching and long-lasting consequences than we’d suspected.

7. Half the World Will Go Without Clean Water

In the lifetime of many of those reading, half of the world’s population will be going without clean, potable fresh water, because of global warming. As glaciers melt, flooding contaminates water supplies, ocean waters rise and other changes occur due to the changing climate, as many as 3.2 billion people will face water shortages by 2080, according to a new report.